What is private mental healthcare?

Private healthcare means going outside the NHS and paying for the health services you want.

For mental healthcare, this could mean:

Having a mental health assessment or ‘consultation’ which could lead to a diagnosis or treatment plan,

Having counselling or therapy,

Having specialist treatment, or

Staying at a specialist rehabilitation unit or hospital.

You can still get care from the NHS if you decide to pay for additional private healthcare. You are still likely to get NHS treatment in an emergency or crisis, or if you need to be detained (‘sectioned’) under the Mental Health Order 1986.

You can still get care from the NHS if you decide to pay for additional private healthcare.

If you pay for a private consultation, you cannot then access faster care through the NHS.